Method of adhering rubbery material to smcoth surfaces



Nov. 27, 1945. D. v. sARBAcH 2,389,641

METHOD OF ADHERING RUBBERY MATERIAL TO SMOOTH SURFACES Filed Feb. 6, 1941 Zep-off 6eme/zzz.

Patented Nov. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD F ADHERING RUBBEBY MATE- RIAL T0 SMOOTH SURFACES Application February 6, 1941, Serial No. 377,686

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of adhering rubbery materials, and particularly the synthetic elastica, to smooth surfaces of such base members as metal, glass, enamel, wood, and similar materials of construction.

With the increasing importance of rubbery materials and particularly the many butadiene polymers and copolymers, in industrial applications there are many problems necessary to be solved before the full value of the rubbery materials can be realized. Among these problems and one that has never been satisfactorily solved up to now', is the very important one of adhering these rubbery materials to other materials and particularly to materials having smooth surfaces.

(ci. 154-2) l from the material of the primer coat to the rubbery material to secure adequate adhesion between' each layer. The stepo cements are usually mixtures comprising the primer coat veto which adhesion has always been extremely f diillcult to obtain. The composite structure made according to the method of this invention provides the rubbery material bonded to the surface with a bond that is very strong, tear resistant. and long lasting. By the method of this invention I secure the adhesion through the use of finely-powdered metal in a primer coating interposed between the surface of the base member and the rubbery material and applied next to the surface of the base member. As better results are obtained it is preferred that an additional primer coat be applied over the rst coat and that it contain the same vehicle as is in the first coat with a finely-divided hard material dispersed throughout the second coat. This hard material may be any water-insoluble material that may be produced in a finely-divided state, preferably with particles between 0.1 and 15 microns in diameter.

In practicing typical embodiments of the invention, I irst clean the surface of the base member by any of the usual methods, dependent, of course, upon the type of base member used, then apply a primer coat containing a substantial amount of a finely-divided metal. This is allowed to dry and then, preferably, another primer coat containing a ilnely-divided hard material such as a metallic oxide is applied to this first coat and allowed to dry. After this one or more step-oi cements preferably are applied in successive layers until the nal slab of rubbery material is pressed into place. These stepoi cements are used so as to uniformly progress hicle and and the rubbery material, that is t0 be adhered and are used between the primer coat and the rubbery material in order to secure adequate adhesion. The number and kind of stepoff" coatings depend entirely upon the vehicle in the primer coat and the rubbery material. Most of the step-off" cements are vulcanizable and are vulcanized during the operation of making the composite structure. By the proper choice of compounding ingredients in the step-ofi cements any rate of vulcanization may be obtained but for convenience of application it is usually recommended that the cements be vulcanizable by standing at ordinary room temperature or, as it is commonly known, by air curing.

The primer coatings of this invention that are applied next to the surface of the base member to which the rubbery material is adhered may have as vehicles any of a wide variety of binders for the nely-divided metal and hard material. Binders such as chlorinated rubber, thermoprene. and similar rubber isomers, rubber hydrochloride, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose ester, and the like, may be used, preferably in a cement form. One or more "step-olf cements are used in order to progress from the primer coats to the rubbery material that it is intended to adhere. If the assembly is air-curing, the rubbery material is merely pressed into close contact with the various coatings and allowed to stand. If heat is required to vulcanize the assembly, the usual way is to place the assembly in a vulcanization press and vulcanize.

The iirst primer coat that is applied should contain a finely-divided metal or mixture of metals with particles preferably spherical in shape and from 0.5 to 45 microns in diameter, with an average diameter of from 2 to 10 microns. The second primer coat should contain a nelydivided hard material such as a metal, metal oxide, metal carbonate, metal hydroxide, metal sulfate, ground glass, slaked lime, water-insoluble barium salts, or similar materials that can be produced in the form of ilne, hard particles that retain their individual size and shape under the forces of compounding and service. The hard material in the second primer coat should di'er either in composition or in particle size from the metal in the first primer coat but it is not necessary, however, that the particles be of any particular shape For best adhesion it is recom# Y material such as those hereinabove indicated may be used that may be produced in such smallsized particles. These particles in the secondv coat should be smaller in size than the particles of metal in the iirst primer coat although size is not so important as long as a material is used that is different from the metal in the ilrst primer coat. As stated above, if the second primer coat contains the same metal as is in the ilrst primer coat the metal of the second coat must be of smaller particle size than those of the first primer coat in order to secure best adhesion.

ment the numerals in indicating the character of the various constituent layers. y

Example 1.-A polished aluminum surface sill is cleansed by wiping with pureA acetone, washing, and then drying. 'This surface is then coated with a cement Il made up by mixing 80 grams of chlorinated rubber, 8 grams of dibutyl phthalate, 700 cc. of chlorobenzene, and 450 grams of iinely-divided zinc metal. This is allowed to dry and the dried coat is covered with a thin layer of a cement l2 made by mixing 210 grams of chlorinated rubber 160 grams of red iron oxide,

f and 1,000 cc. of chlorotoluene, and this layer is Before proceeding with a detailed description of some examples of the invention, it will be l convenient to describe a typical cement that is used next the rubbery material as a "step-oil cement. The recipe for such a cement follows:

All amounts given above are in parts by weight. 560 grams of A are dissolved in ethylene dichloride and 560 grams of B are dissolved in ethylene dichloride. Each is made up to 4.0 liters with more ethylene dichloride. The finished stepoif cement is then made as needed by mixing equal volumes of A and of B together with 2 Volumes of a vehicle such as a cement consisting phate, and washing with alcohol.

of 20 parts by weight of chlorinated rubber (100- 150 centipoise viscosity or containing approximately 65% chlorine), 200 parts of benzene and 2 parts of tetralin.

Due to the ingredients used in this particular cement it is vulcanized by allowing it to stand at ordinary room temperatures. Other cements may be used that are not air-curing by using other accelerators in place of the Butyl-8. Similarly other compounding ingredients may be substituted for those specically mentioned in the recipe given above. In general the stepoi cement will contain the same rubbery material as is adhered to the base member and will contain the vehicle that is used in the primers. The recipe given is merely an example of a stepoi cement and shows typical ingredients. Other age-resistors may be used for the poly 2,2,4-trimethyl 1,2-dihydro quinoline, other softeners may be used, and other accelerators may also be used instead of the Butyl-8. By the proper choice of the accelerator and the amounts of sulfur used various desired rates of vulcanization may be obtained.

To further disclose the nature of the invention and the character of the materials used, three specific examples will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing of which the three :dgures illustrate in diagrammatic fashion the composite structures described respectively in the three specific examples. For clarity of illustration and ease of understanding, the thicknesses of the cement layers have been exaggerated and appropriate legends have been added to supplealso allowed to dry. To this coat is then applied a coating I3a of the step-off" cement mixed as described above and containing for the rubbyery material a synthetic elastic made by copolymerizing 5 5 parts butadiene and 45 parts of acrylonitrile. This same cement is applied as a coating IIb to one surface of a one-sixteenth inch thick slab Il of a'vulcanized copolymer of 55 parts of butadiene and 45' parts of acrylonitrile. 'I'he two freshly coated surfaces are allowed to dry from one to four vminutes and-then, when just dry, are pressed together in intimate contact, as by rolling with a roller, and allowed to set at room temperature. Upon complete curing which usuallywill require from 6 to 15 hours, the copolymer will be found to have become tenaciously adhered to the polished aluminum surface. The method of this example is particularly applicable for adhering anti-freeze feeding shoes to polished aluminum airplane propellers. Such shoes must be made of oil-resisting rubbery material and it has been difdcult heretofore to obtain completely satisfactory adhesion between such shoes and the propeller body.

Example 2.-A piece of plate glass I5 is cleansed by Washing it with a solution of trisodium phos- The cleaned surface is coated with a cement i6 made by mixing grams of rubber hydrochloride, 5 grams of dibenzyl ether, 800 cc. of chlorobenzene, and 500 grams of finely-divided iron metal. This is allowed to dry and the dried coat is covered with a layer of a cement l1 comprising 200 grams of rubber hydrochloride, grams of finely ground lead oxide, and 1,000 cc. of chloroberizene, and this layer is likewise allowed to dry. To this coat is then applied a coating [8a of a stepolf cement similar to the Vone mixed as described above but with the rubbery material made by copolymerizing 'l0 parts butadiene and 30 parts methyl methacrylate and with rubber hydrochloride substituted for the chlorinated rubber. This same cement is also applied as a coating |8b to one surface of a sheet I9 of a vulcanized copolymer of 'l0 parts butadiene and 30 parts of methyl methacrylate. The two freshly coated surfaces are allowed to dry from one to four minutes and then, when lust dry, are pressed together in intimate contact, as by rolling with a roller, and allowed to become thoroughly dry at room temperature. Upon complete curing, or after from 6 to 15 hours, the copolymer will be found to have become tenaciously adhered to the glass surface. Y

Example 3.--A smooth steel surface 20 is cleansed as by washing with pure benzene and then ooding it with water and drying. This surface is then coated wtih a cement 2| made up by mixing 200 grams of chlorinated rubber, '700 cc. of chlorobenzene, and 450 grams of finely-divided metallic copper. This coat is dried and then covered with a coat 22 made by mixing 210 grams of chlorinated rubber, 160 grams oi nely-divided zinc carbonate powder, and 1,000 cc. of chlorotoluene. After this layer is dry it is given a coating 25a of the step-oi!" cement mixed as described above but containing neoprene as the rubbery material, and with 4 parts of light magnesium oxide substituted for the sulfur and with 1 part by weight of mercapto benzo thiazole disuliide used instead of the butyl-8. This cement is also applied as a coating 23h to one surface oi' unvulcanized but vulcanizable neoprene 24. The assembly is put in a steam vulcanization press and vulcanized for 45 minutes at a temperature of 290 F.

Byethemethod of this invention, rubbery material may be adhered to a wide variety of base members, especially those with smooth, polished surfacesl of metal, glass and the like, to which adhesion has always been extremely difdcult. In the two primer coats containing nely-divided metal and the finely-divided hard material vehicles such as chlorinated rubber, rubber isomers, cellulose ester, rubber hydrochloride, polyvinyl chloride, and the like may be used in cement form as binders for the metal and metallic oxide. Good adhesion may be obtained by using only the one primer coat containing powdered metal but for best adhesion it is recommended that both primer coats be used, the one next to the surface containing flnely-divided metal and the secrod coat containing a hard materialsuch as a finely-divided metallic oxide. In this invention any metal may be used that can be obtained in a iine size and likewise any hard material can be used that can also be obtained in a ne size.

In making up the cements used as primer coats any appropriate solvent may be used and the most convenient ones are those organic solvents that volatilize rapidly so as to cause no delay in drying the various coatings. Examples of such solvents are benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, chlorotoluene, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, butyl acetate, and ethyl acetate, or combinations of these or similar solvents.

The term "rubbery material" used throughout this application is intended to include all those natural rubbers, including caoutchouc, gutta percha, and balata, and synthetic elastic materials such as those made by copolymerizing bu tadiene with any of those materials that readily copolymerize with it. These include vinylidine chloride, styrene,isobuty1ene. acrylic and methacrylic esters/of which the most important is acrylic'nitrile, as well as many others. Synthetics such as these are sold under the trade names of I-Iycar, Ameripol, Buna S, Perbunan, Chemigum, and ButyL Other synthetic elastics suchas organic polysuldes or Thiokol, plasticized polyvinyl chloride or Koroseal, resilient polyisobutylene or Vistanex medium, copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate or Vinylite G, neoprene; and the like may be used in the invention. All these rubbery materials are thermoplastic and organic in-nature and may be adhered to base members according to the method of the present invention. If the rubbery material is capable of being vulcanized it may be vulcanized to any desired degree in the iinished product. Thus the invention is not concerned with any particular degree of vulcanization in the rubbery material but includes products in which this material is either unvulcanized or vulcanized to'either the soft or the hard stage or to any intermediate stage.

Having described my invention in detail together with several speciiic binders, step-olf" cements, and rubbery materials in connection with various examples useful in practicing the method of this invention, it is my desire to protect the invention broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A composite structure comprising a base member, and a body of rubbery material secured to the base member by an intermediate bonding means, said bonding means including a first primer coat containing iinely-divided metal of a particle size between 0.5 and 45 microns with an average particle size of from 2 to 10 microns adhered Vto the base member and a Vsecond-primer coat containing a finely-divided hard material of a particle size between 0.1 and 15 microns adhered to the rst primer coat.

2. A composite structure comprising a metal base member and a body of rubbery material secured to the metal base member by an intermediate bonding means, said bonding means including a iirst primer coat containing inely-divided metal of a particle size between 0.5 and 45 microns with an average particle size of from 2 to l0 microns adhered to the metal base member and a second primer coat containing a inelydivided hard material of a particle size between 0.1 t:and 15 microns adhered to the rst primer coa 3. A composite structure comprising a metal base member, and a body of rubbery material secured to the metal base member by an intermediate bonding means, said bonding means including a first primer coat containing finelydivided metal of a particle size between 0.5 and 45 microns with an average particle size of from 2 to 10 microns adhered to the metal base member and a second primer coat containing nelydivided metallic oxide of a particle size between 0.1 and 15 microns adhered to the irst coat.

4. A composite structure comprising an aluminum base member, and a body of rubbery material secured to the aluminum base member by an intermediate bonding means, said bonding means including a rst primer coat containing a nely-divided metal of a particle size between 0.5 and 45 microns with an average particle size of from 2 to 10 'microns adhered to the aluminum base member and a second primer coat containing .finely-divided metallic oxide of a particle size between 0.1 and 15 microns adhered to the rst coat.

5. The method of making a composite structure which comprises securing a body of rubbery material to a base member by interposing between the base member and the rubbery material an intermediate bonding means, said bonding means including a rst primer coat containing nely-divided metal of a particle size between 0.5 and 45 vmicrons with an average particle size of from 2 to 10 microns adhered to the base member and a second primer coat containing a finely-divided hard material of a particle size between 0.1 and 15 microns adhered to the first primer coat.

6. The method of making a composite structure which comprises securing a body of rubbery material to a metal base member by interposing between the metal base member and the rubbery material an intermediate bonding means, said bonding means including a first primer coat containing nely-divided metal of a particle size between 0.5 and 45 microns with an average par- 4 assaon ticle size of from 2 to 10 microns adhered to the means including a metal base member and second primer coat conbase member and ormlxxierrisiggatagilgg rwth: taining finely-divided metallic oxide of a particle ilnely-divided metal o! a particle size between size between 0.1 and 15 microns adhered to the 0.5 and 45 microns with an average particle size rst coat. g 5 of from 2 to 10 microns and at least one coat of '1. The method of making a composite struca "step-o cement adhered to the rubbery ma tureghlicih comprises securing a body of rubbery teriai. ma a o an a uminum base member by inter- 9. The method of makin posing between the aluminum base member and ture which comprises securiigaacgi'ldpxgoigerustbuegy the rubbery material an intermediate bonding l0 material to a basemember by interposing bemeans, said bonding means including a tlrst tween the base member and the rubbery mateprimer coat containing finely-divided metal of a rial an intermediate bonding means said bond particle size between 0.5 and 45 microns with an ing means including a iirst primer coat adhered average particle size of from 2 to 10 microns adto they base member and comprising a bind hered to the aluminum base member and a sec- 15 containing finely-divided metal oi' a particle sig; ond primer coat containing iinely-divided mebetween 0.5 and 45 microns with an ave tallic oxide of a particle size between 0.1 and particle size of from 2 to 10 microns a seorgg 15 microns adhered to the rst coat. primer coat adhered to the first prix'nerl coat and 8. The method of making a composite struccomprising the same binder containing a nnely.

turewhich comprises securing a body of rubbery 2o divided hard material of a particle size between material to a base member by interposing be- 0.1 and 15 micr tween the base member and the rubbery material hered to the rubigelelrsy" naileiatep-on -cement adan intermediate bonding means, said bonding l DONALD V. SARBACH CERTIFICATE OF C ORREC TI ON Patent No. 2 ,589', 614.1. November 2'? 19145 DONALD V. SARBACH.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction -as follows: Page 1|., first column, line 19, beginning with the words "The `method of making" strike out lall to and 'including the syllable "terial" in line?, same page, second column, comprising claim 8, and insert instead the following A composite structure comprising a' base member and a body of rubber5r material secured to the base member by an intermediate bonding means said bonding means including a first primer coat adhered to the base member and comprising a binder containing finely-divided metal of a particle size between 0.5 vand h5 microns with an average particle size of from 2 to 10 microns, a second primer coat adhered to the first primer coat and comprising the same binder containing a finely-divided hard material 'of a particle size between 0.1 and 15 microns, and a "step-off" cement adhered to the rubbery material and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oi'- fice. y

signed and sealed this 19th day of March, A. D.. 19LL6.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) First Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

